Episode Details

😰 Are you starting your first job in Germany? Do you know what to say when you enter the workplace, meet your colleagues or don’t fully understand your first task?

In this A2–B1 German podcast episode, Emil and Sophia guide you through a complete first workday in Germany—from arriving at the building and introducing yourself to asking questions, understanding instructions and saying goodbye.

Emil also shares a stressful story from his first day. After asking many questions, he receives a message from his manager:

„Können wir morgen kurz sprechen?“

Emil immediately imagines that he has made a serious mistake. But what does his manager really want? Listen to the episode to discover the answer. 🎧

💼 In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

• Announce your arrival at the workplace
• Introduce yourself to a new team
• Use du and Sie correctly
• Ask someone to repeat or demonstrate a task
• Check whether you understood an instruction
• Ask about priorities and deadlines
• Find the right contact person
• Say goodbye naturally at the end of the day

🗣️ Useful German sentences:

• Guten Morgen. Ich habe heute meinen ersten Arbeitstag.
Good morning. Today is my first workday.

• Ich habe um neun Uhr einen Termin mit Frau Keller.
I have an appointment with Ms Keller at nine o’clock.

• Ich freue mich auf die Zusammenarbeit.
I’m looking forward to working together.

• Mein Deutsch ist noch nicht perfekt, aber ich lerne jeden Tag.
My German is not perfect yet, but I learn every day.

• Kannst du mir zeigen, wie das funktioniert?
Can you show me how this works?

• Könntest du das bitte noch einmal erklären?
Could you please explain that again?

• Habe ich richtig verstanden, dass …?
Did I understand correctly that …?

• Was soll ich zuerst machen?
What should I do first?

• Bis wann soll ich das erledigen?
By when should I complete this?

• Muss ich dabei etwas beachten?
Is there anything I need to pay attention to?

• An wen kann ich mich wenden, wenn ich Fragen habe?
Who can I contact if I have questions?

• Kann ich noch etwas erledigen, bevor ich gehe?
Is there anything else I can do before I leave?

• Schönen Feierabend! Bis morgen!
Have a nice evening! See you tomorrow!

📚 Important workplace vocabulary:

• der erste Arbeitstag — first workday
• die Einarbeitung — initial training and introduction to the job
• der Ansprechpartner / die Ansprechpartnerin — contact person
• die Zusammenarbeit — cooperation
• die Aufgabe — task
• die Anweisung — instruction
• etwas erledigen — to complete something
• auf etwas achten — to pay attention to something
• nachfragen — to ask for clarification
• der Feierabend — the time after finishing work

🎧 Repeat the sentences aloud and practise the complete workplace dialogue with Emil and Sophia. Choose two sentences that you may need on your first day and say them several times without reading.

Follow Deutsch Podcast 101FM for more practical German conversations and listening practice for everyday life and work in Germany. 🇩🇪🎙️